The first name Philemon
A boy’s name from Greek meaning “kindly”, “affectionate”, “to love”.
Pronounced /fɪˈliːmən/ 3 syllables Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Greek origin
Philemon means “kindly”, “affectionate”, “to love” in Greek.
From Ancient Greek Φιλήμων (Philḗmōn), from φιλήμων (philḗmōn, “kindly, affectionate”), from φιλέω (philéō, “to love”).
More names that mean love.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
Philemon last appeared in the official list in 2017, given to 3 boys. It peaked in 2006, with 5 births (#2,870).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Philemon with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Philemon at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 10 boys born in the United States were named Philemon, the 8,079th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 2017, when 24 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Philemon in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Philemon in German, Scottish Gaelic and Welsh too.
Famous people named Philemon
5 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Philémon YangCameroonian politician, former Prime minister of Cameroon, born 1947
- Philemon DickinsonAmerican politician, 1739–1809
- Philemon HollandEnglish schoolmaster, physician, and Classics translator, 1552–1637
- Philemon DickersonAmerican politician (1788-1862)
- Philemon WrightCanadian businessman (1760-1839)
More Greek boys’ names
Questions
- What does the name Philemon mean?
- Philemon means “kindly”, “affectionate”, “to love” in Greek.
- What is the origin of the name Philemon?
- From Ancient Greek Φιλήμων (Philḗmōn), from φιλήμων (philḗmōn, “kindly, affectionate”), from φιλέω (philéō, “to love”).
- How popular is the name Philemon?
- In 2017, 3 boys born in England and Wales were named Philemon, ranking 4,812th. Its peak was 2006, with 5 births.
- Is Philemon a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 925 US babies named Philemon since 1880 were boys.
- When was Philemon most popular?
- 2017 in the United States, when 24 babies were named Philemon, its highest rank at 4,304th.
- How do you pronounce Philemon?
- Philemon is /fɪˈliːmən/, 3 syllables.
- Is Philemon also a surname?
- Yes. Philemon is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.